Violence erupts at Nyanga Home Affairs offices

By Mikhaila Crowie
21 July 2008


The Home Affairs office in Nyanga has not opened for business this morning. The Offices were supposed to open at 8:15, but there was no sign of life and doors were locked.

Nyanga Home Affairs office is the busiest in the province and is responsible for dealing with political refugees and asylum seekers. The situation has turned volatile and violence has broken out.

The Democratic Alliance calls for the Nyanga Home Affairs offices to be opened immediately and to be kept open until all queuing refugees have been dealt with.

Spokesperson for the DA, Robin Carlisle, said that at 11:30 this morning, the offices were not open and people have been queuing from 4am already. “I estimate the crowd to be between 800 and 1 000 people.” Carlisle said the situation has turned volatile and police are on the scene.

Carlisle also said he had discovered that the entire senior staff in South Africa is at a very luxury conference centre in Mpumalanga.

“The DA considers this to be an absolute disgrace and calls on the offices to be opened immediately.”